Small

Recent trends in contemporary art have meant that we've grown accustomed to large scale pieces, be that huge canvases, enormous sculptures, or giant installations.

However, the miniature has always been an important part of contemporary art. Be it paintings, sculpture, or photography as well as small format drawings, the reduced dimensions of the artwork puts new constraints on the artist, forcing them to develop their techniques and artistic finesse.


Jeff Wall, an American photographer known for his large scale photographic prints on huge illuminated boxes, has said that “the scale of a piece is not about the dimensions of it, but about the internal tensions within the composition".


Believe it or not, miniature pieces have many advantages. Smaller formats allow the artists to show off a different range of talents and techniques, and sometimes even create the impression of a much higher quality piece – such as engravings or prints. Creating a miniature is a sure sign of precision and skill.

They are also more practical to exhibit than the enormous artworks: we've all got a little space on a shelf ready to welcome a miniature sculpture, photo or drawing.


Another very practical aspect of miniatures is the myriad possibilities for display: you could put together a full shelf of statuettes, or even a dedicated framing wall – which is an increasingly popular method for display, and makes for the perfect decorative addition to a living room or bedroom. It's a mixed composition made up of an array of pieces – you guessed it – all on the same wall. The diminutive size of the miniatures also makes it easier to make sure your favourite pieces are displayed in pride of place.

Even artists who are known for their monumental works are slowly getting into miniatures, like Jeff Wall in his exhibition at the Cartier Foundation.


The miniature is making a big name for itself as a growing trend across the contemporary art world; from Gaspard Mitz, who creates tiny versions of the interiors of famous art galleries in his 'Box Stories', to the photography of Samsofy, who recreates scenes from daily life with miniscule Lego 'actors'.  


Last but not least, the small scale of the pieces means that even big names come with small price tags, meaning that miniatures make excellent presents. So, go on, what are you waiting for? Browse our selection of miniature works now…

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Print, Sans titre, Wxyz

Wxyz

Print . 30 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print . 11.8 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€130

Painting, UP23_70, Matt Neuman

Matt Neuman

Painting . 28 x 28 x 2 cm Painting . 11 x 11 x 0.8 inch

€2,100

Sculpture, Kora, Richard Perry

Richard Perry

Sculpture . 26 x 27.5 x 25.5 cm Sculpture . 10.2 x 10.8 x 10 inch

€4,200

Painting, Blue ZZH, Anthony Emerton

Anthony Emerton

Painting . 42 x 29.7 x 1 cm Painting . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0.4 inch

€5,250

Sculpture, Wave, Ok Nam Lee

Ok Nam Lee

Sculpture . 38.5 x 38.5 x 2 cm Sculpture . 15.2 x 15.2 x 0.8 inch

€1,200

Print, Rot, Paulis Liepa

Rot

Paulis Liepa

Print . 42.2 x 30 x 0.2 cm Print . 16.6 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€585

Sculpture, Flashe, Scott Troxel

Scott Troxel

Sculpture . 29 x 25 x 5 cm Sculpture . 11.4 x 9.8 x 2 inch

€1,000

Print, Sans titre 3, Antonio Asis

Antonio Asis

Print . 50 x 49.5 x 0.02 cm Print . 19.7 x 19.5 x 0 inch

€1,200

Painting, Cadiz, Véro Blaise

Véro Blaise

Painting . 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€800

Sculpture, Wavy Yellow, Scott Troxel

Scott Troxel

Sculpture . 39 x 15 x 5 cm Sculpture . 15.4 x 5.9 x 2 inch

€1,200

Painting, Status Quo, Antony Squizzato

Antony Squizzato

Painting . 50 x 50 x 5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

€1,650

Fine Art Drawings, a.r. - ad random, Herman de Vries

Herman de Vries

Fine Art Drawings . 50 x 50 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€4,800

Painting, Fractal #008, Lek

Lek

Painting . 50 x 50 x 4 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

€1,200

Sculpture, 7CP2P-25, Martin Singer

Martin Singer

Sculpture . 38 x 41.2 x 3.2 cm Sculpture . 15 x 16.2 x 1.3 inch

€650

Print, Holiday 1, Kumi Sugaï

Kumi Sugaï

Print . 29.2 x 25.1 cm Print . 11.5 x 9.9 inch

€600

Painting, WL-T-, JaveL Art

JaveL Art

Painting . 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€670

Sculpture, Citrus, Scott Troxel

Scott Troxel

Sculpture . 33 x 22 x 5 cm Sculpture . 13 x 8.7 x 2 inch

€1,400

Sculpture, Color Block #12, Anne Ghez

Anne Ghez

Sculpture . 38 x 20 x 5 cm Sculpture . 15 x 7.9 x 2 inch

€1,800

Painting, Kinsale, Véro Blaise

Véro Blaise

Painting . 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€800

Painting, Portal (pink ) II, Susan L

Susan L

Painting . 50 x 40 x 4 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

€1,809

Painting, Ecru, Sophie Dumont

Sophie Dumont

Painting . 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,750

Painting, Rosetta, Rich Moyers

Rich Moyers

Painting . 30.5 x 30.5 x 3.8 cm Painting . 12 x 12 x 1.5 inch

€678

Fine Art Drawings, Théorèmes #1, Nagsoul

Nagsoul

Fine Art Drawings . 22 x 32 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€800

Sculpture, Tower N°2, Dean Tavoularis

Dean Tavoularis

Sculpture . 42 x 19 x 20 cm Sculpture . 16.5 x 7.5 x 7.9 inch

€6,000

Painting, Boule 6, Yann Guinchan

Yann Guinchan

Painting . 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, 74, Miyako Shimizu

74

Miyako Shimizu

Painting . 40 x 41 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch

€4,050

Sculpture, Flow Meter, Scott Troxel

Scott Troxel

Sculpture . 36 x 25 x 5 cm Sculpture . 14.2 x 9.8 x 2 inch

€1,800

Sculpture, Forma, Thalia Dalecky

Thalia Dalecky

Sculpture . 45 x 45 x 9 cm Sculpture . 17.7 x 17.7 x 3.5 inch

€3,200

Sculpture, Plexo_09, Candela Muniozguren

Candela Muniozguren

Sculpture . 50 x 38 x 40 cm Sculpture . 19.7 x 15 x 15.7 inch

€7,300